After I Fall Asleep
by blackjackal101
Summary: Natsume stared as Persona slid a photograph across the table for him the see. "This is your next mission", Persona instructed. Pointing to the picture of a brunette with a smiling face he said, "Kill this girl from the AAO." Eyes wide with recognition Natsume gulped before putting up his poker face and said, "Yes, Persona." *re upload*
1. Chapter 1

_Hi, this is a new account because I'm a very unorganized person and can't seem to get into my old account. This would be more of a reupload of what I originally posted and then I'll continue from there. I hope I'll be able to upload regularly, and start out the new year with this. Excuse my grammatical and spelling mistakes, but feel free to point them out, suggestions are always great _

_Disclaimer-I don't own Gakuen Alice _

_Alice, it's an ability inside of certain people that they might never know about and discover. But when you do, you are sent to a certain prestigious school for the talented. Welcome to Gakuen Alice. _

The streets were vacant and devoid of sound as the street lights lining the sidewalks like little soldiers flickered on and off. A lone young boy, nearing the turn of adulthood staggered as he leaned onto the cold walls that separated the prestigious Alice Academy from the rest of the world that was dead asleep at the moment.

Through the light glow that was casted by the moon, the chiseled features on the young boy were uncovered. However, there was no one nearby to gawk at the sight, or shiver as he stared ahead, ruby, emotionless eyes ready to burn a hole in your head. On the other hand, you are quite safe, because this young boy is wounded badly from his mission. A large red gash ran across and up his arm, the blood not stopping.

Grunting, Natsume tried to reach the back gate reserved for DA students only as they passed in and out from their missions. Natsume's eyes glowed with anger as his thoughts directed themselves to Persona, the one who assigned him this private mission. He was sure Persona knew about the ambush attack that Natsume had narrowly escaped. There was no need to retrieve the enemy plans for the mission. In fact, there was probably no plan to retrieve in the first place. Persona did it to damage Natsume's pride, which has grown quite large over the years. Nothing like a little trample to show Natsume where he belonged, forever a dog working for the academy.

Dragging the first-aid kit he had out of the bathroom cabinet, Natsume started to fix himself up.

He wasn't planning on going to the hospital, the thought of people fussing over him made him want to throw up. Besides, there's always the pride issue, and Imai would kick him out if he bad-mouthed anyone.

Natsume laid his head back on the bed. His pillow and king sized bed was everything needed to guarantee that the special star student was satisfied. The bleeding arm was also bandaged and the pain started to numb and disappear. Natsume could fall asleep from dreariness right now, but there was something nagging at the corners of his mind. It was like something told him that there would be a surprise waiting for him soon. With that final thought, he fell asleep. The windows opened to the wind as thoughts flew in and out, fate was also being intertwined.

Mikan stared into the empty darkness in front of her; she shivered while waiting for Tsubasa and Misaki for their weekly or sometimes monthly checkup after they had graduated Alice Academy. The starless sky stared back at her as she wondered what her seniors truly think about her current situation. Even though they mostly stood on her side for all her decisions she tends to forget that they also were from Alice Academy.

Mostly the subject was left untouched as they all enjoyed and hung out with their cheerful junior who tried to enjoy as much of the normal life as she could. Mikan sighed; she had no idea what her life was going to be like in the future. It was like trying to pinpoint a needle in a haystack, at night, with mittens on. Suddenly she grinned; whatever life lay out in front of her she was ready to take it on.

_Thanks for reading! Review for suggestions :)_

_Pic by Gary Randall_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi! Thanks , Lunar x princess, and StarElsie for reviewing, since your wish is my command this chapter was the 2nd and 3rd chapter combined. I'll try to make my chapters longer. Suggestions are always welcomed, enjoy! Don't hesitate to point out any grammatical errors. _

_Disclaimer-I don't own Gakuen Alice _

Natsume woke up with a headache and a ringing alarm clock that he burned through without a second thought. His windows that led to the balcony were opened, and the flowing white material reminded him of the wedding gown his mother wore in the photo he kept next to his bed.

_His mother_, that thought jostled him awake as he tried to sit up, the bandaged arm hung limply on his side and felt like an alien part of his body. Wincing he slumped back onto his bed and read the time on his watch;since his charred alarm clock looked like it wasn't going to tell time anytime soon.

The glowing digital numbers read 8:39. Heaving a sigh he decided that he was going to skip class, besides he was already late. Not seeing Narumi would only be another comforting thought he could have today. Digging through his special start closet Natsume settled for anything that wasn't his daily high school uniform and grabbed the latest manga off his desk, before leaving the room and heading towards the Sakura tree.

The Sakura tree was Natsume's spot and everyone knew it. It might as well have "Natsume Hyuuga's property" carved into it's trunk. Many girls have tried to go near the tree and disturb the fire-caster's sleep but Natsume wouldn't allow it. He needed a place to escape from his thoughts.

However, there were a lot of stories about this tree. Before Natsume came to Gakuen Alice it was rumored that another girl "owned" the tree. If he remembered the name correctly, it was Mikan Sakura. Her name was banned from the school grounds, all pictures of her were also burned, claiming that she was a traitor. Natsume was actually kind of curious about the previous owner of his tree.

Lost in his own thoughts about the mysterious girl Natsume didn't notice his blonde friend approach him. Ruka shouted out, "Natsume! I was so worried about you, but I knew I would've found you here." He ran towards the grouchy boy, his blonde hair cascading over his sky blue eyes while trying to hold his rabbit in his arms. Any member of the Natsume-Ruka fan club would have whipped out their trusty camera and taken a picture. Not that the pictures will ever see the light of day because Natsume would have burned them to the ground.

Half-asleep the boy grunted at his friend. He was silently waiting for Ruka the whole time, knowing that his friend found out about the mission and would get worried.

Sighing Ruka accusingly said, "I was worried about you, why didnt you come to class?"

Natsume glared at Ruka and retorted, "Narumi's class is only halfway done, why are you here?"

"I was worried about you and the mission last night" He glanced at the bandaged arm.

"I'm perfectly fine Ruka, go back to class".

"I will, but where are you going to go?" Ruka glanced at his attire. He was obviously not going to stay on school grounds. Natsume often snuck out of the Academy without people knowing, using an unguarded area. Not even Ruka knew where it was, his friend refused to give up it's location.

Natsume didn't answer but lept off the tree. "Go back to class Ruka, I'll see you later."

Defeated, his friend walked away but not before muttering "Take care of yourself".

The outside world reminded Natsume of Central town, except no special items were being sold and the streets were occupied by regular people of all ages. Tokyo was bustling with activity as men and woman rushed along getting to work. The autumn weather created rosy cheeks and running noses so people stopped for a warm cup of coffee or a nice breakfast.

Being outside was refreshing, away from Alice Academy and the unneeded stress.

Natsume watched as a girl about his age dressed in a green sweater and jeans with her light brown hair tied back in a ponytail helped an old lady cross the street. Although he couldn't see her face, he could tell from the quick glances from the men and boys crossing the street that she must have been quite beautiful.

He turned his attention back to walking aimlessly, keeping up with the pace of the people around him. He liked how no one noticed him outside of school; it was the the perfect place for him to be left alone. Of course he was never left completely alone; he felt the glances of people passing by him. Once in a while he'll make the mistake of accidentally making eye contact and the lucky girl would pretend to faint, or maybe they really did faint. He wouldn't know or care.

No matter how much the Natsume-Ruka fan club hoped, Natsume wasn't looking for a relationship. He doubted that he'll ever find a girl that could put up with his moody attitude. He wasn't your normal prince charming despite how he may appear in some girls' dreams. Natsume entered the nearest cafe and admired it's simple but comfy designs. He seated himself at one of the red benches with a semi circle glass table in the dark corner. He didn't have any money on him, but he wasn't hungry anyway.

With the hood on and sitting still Natsume was undisturbed, at least for a while. A young waitress approached him and interrupted him manga reading. She placed down coffee wrapped with a zarf and began to stare at him. He stared back like she grew two heads, hoping to freak her out, but she only smiled and wriggled uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I didn't ask for coffee", Natsume finally said.

"I know", the waitress replied. "My treat!" she exclaimed and awkwardly walked away blushing and sighed dreamily.

Natsume sighed; he didn't want to waste his breath arguing with an annoying girl. Instead he exited the cafe looking for a trash bin. He didn't like coffee that much anyway. On the other hand, he was enjoying the warmth emitted by the cup, it was even better then heating himself with his Alice. Of course he would never admit something like this out loud because it would only sound so un-

"Ouch!" someone yelped.

Natsume snapped out of his trance and was surprised to see the girl in the green sweater before. So he did guess right, she was kinda pretty. Her face didn't look so happy though, her mouth was half open in surprise and her eyes were clouded as if she wasnt paying attention. Natsume looked down, his cup did seem much lighter. It seemed as if half of it ended up on the girl's sweater.

The light green sweater now had a brown stain in the front, dripping down with the color of rotten vegetables.

"This was my favorite sweater! This stain will never get out!" the girl screamed.

Natsume stared back, bored as the girl scream insults at him. When she finally stopped to wait for an apology they've already gained the attention of the whole street. People huffed and smirked, thinking it was a couple argument.

"So?" the girl questioned.

"So what? Are you done screaming?" Natsume echoed before taking a sip of the cold coffee just to annoy her.

"No apology? No nothing?" She said fuming.

Natsume shrugged, it was entertaining, finally he had something to do on this boring chilly day. "Hey, you lost a sweater, and I lost half a cup of coffee. We're even."

She thought it over for a moment and Natsume began to back away using the moment to escape. He didn't get far before feeling a tug on his wrist and saw that tears began to form in her eyes.

"Whoa, whoa" He cringed, now the people walking pass are really staring at them as if to say, 'dude make it up to her'. He sighed and finally caved, "Fine, what can I do to make up for your sweater?"

Her tears stopped instantly and began to grin evilly, knowing that her teary eyed trick worked.

"Let's go to the Fluff Puffs store! Your treat!" So the girl dragged Natsume along the Tokyo streets towards her favorite candy store.

_Thanks for reading. Opinions? _


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi everyone! It took some time to finish this one, though it's only a bit longer the the previous chapter. It took a lot more time for some reason (cough) procrastination (cough)._

_Thanks to the road to the stars, StarElsie, Lunar x princess, and for reviewing. Enjoy reading! _

_Disclaimer- I don't own Gakuen Alice_

Natsume watched, bored as she stuffed down another box of Fluff Puffs down her throat. It was never ending and even he was sure that the mesmerized, infatuated Fluff Puff girl wouldn't give him anymore boxes for free. He didn't have any money on him, so in order to afford the Fluff Puffs he used him normal charm.

"Hey, I want a box of those", he pointed to a mountain of pre-prepared candy. The girl in the green sweater sat on the bench across from the store underneath a Sakura tree, impatiently waiting for her prize.

"Huh? What?" The cashier was staring at his face and drooling. At this point Natsume was annoyed; his calm uninterrupted day was already ruined by another loud obnoxious girl.

"Hand it over already". She snapped out of her daze and hurriedly grabbed multiple boxes and scribbled on one of them, and cautiously asked while glaring at the annoyed girl on the bench, "Is that your girlfriend?"

Natsume didn't feel like answering but decided to mess with her a little, "Yeah, we're we're engaged". He laughed on the inside after turning away and walking towards an expecting lady.

"Finally! Oh, by the way my name is Mikan" the girl said between bites.

"Why would I need to know your name?" Natsume questioned, he knew he probably wouldn't bump into her again after going back to the Academy.

Mikan smiled, "You're treating me to food, so we're practically best friends now" she offered him a piece but Natsume shook his head.

"I don't really like sweets".

Mikan gasped, "What are you, an alien?!"

They sat in silence after Mikan's ramble about how anyone can dislike sweets, staring at the clouds as time passed by until Mikan broke the silence, "Hey, what happened to your arm?"

Natsume had forgotten about it, and the thought of the arm reminded him that he needed to get back to Persona and the Academy. He wasn't looking forward to it, although the peace and quiet he needed was interrupted, Natsume somewhat enjoyed having someone's company this time and watching the Sakura petals drift onto her hair.

"None of your business little girl"

Mikan scoffed, "You look my age so don't act so stuck up". She prodded deeper, "Hey, what school are you from? You look like a teenager".

Natsume was unwilling to share the information about the Academy, but a normal person like her would have thought it was a normal prestigious school. "Alice Academy" he said, to shut her up.

"Oh…" A glint of recognition sparked in Mikan eyes, caught by the setting sun. Natsume was curious by the silence as a shadow passed over her face.

"Ah never mind, next time when you decide to come out of the hellhole give me a call so I can treat you!" She let out a smile which passed over her face, it seemed more force than her other ones but Natsume allowed it to slip pass. He wasn't planning on seeing her again anyway, this was all a one-time thing.

Mikan grabbed his hand forcefully out of his pockets and began to scribble on his palm her number with a pen she had borrowed from a stranger.

"Since the girl selling candy got to give you her number on the box, I'll give you mine. You're gonna call me right?" Her voice was insistent but Natsume was determined not to let her think it was going to be easy.

"Tch, I have better things to do". Like train with Persona, burn fangirls, read manga, torture Jinno, and read manga, the possibilities ran through his head, but he memorized the number anyway in case it rubbed off.

She stood up and brushed her legs before reaching into her pockets to retrieve something.

"Here, have one. It's a few months away but I won them in a game and didn't know what to do with them." Her outstretched hand held out a brightly colored ticket to a festival that began a few months later. Looking nervous Mikan reluctantly pulled her hand back, "You know, if you didn't want to go just say so."

Natsume felt bad suddenly and grabbed the ticket. "Hmph, you better be here on time or else I'm leaving."

Her face brighten upped instantly, "Yes!" and gave him a quick hug before flashing one last simile and leaving.

After watching her figure disappear around a street corner Natsume sighed and leaned back on the wooden bench. He wondered how much extra work he'd just given himself. Around him street lamps flashed on and pooled onto the sidewalks, before he knew it the streets were dark and empty. He hurriedly made his way back to the academy and through the hole in the barrier.

Unfortunately Natsume felt the hair on his back standing up after feeling the dreaded presence behind him. He gulped.

"What a lovely evening Persona"

It ached everywhere. His head, legs, chest, arms, and back. Although the head part may be because of a headache. It was one of the worst beatings he had taken, and he couldn't do anything but take it.

On his special star bed he sank into the mattress and tried to catch a few winks before attending morning class. Realizing he needed to change out of his bloody clothes Natsume groggily peeled them off and threw them onto the side. They landed on the floor with a soft thump and Mikan's ticket slowly fluttered to the ground. Staring at it long and hard his heart dropped a little, realizing that he wouldn't be able to see her again.

The feeling confused him, he didnt even know her that well. Trying to convince himself that he felt bad about the festival because he spilt coffee on her sweater didnt make him feel any better. The situation made him feel worse as the thought of her sitting at the bench, Sakura petals drifting into her hair, alone in a yukata waiting for someone who will never come. It threw off a course of thoughts and bitter anger as he raged at himself for being caught by Persona. Now he needed to keep up a good act and behave like an appropriate student to get on the school's good side.

The thoughts wouldn't stop and eventually exhausted him. Slipping underneath the covers, Natsume slowly and painfully fell asleep.

Waking up was not much different than the morning before, except his charred alarm clock was still out of commision. Instead Ruka had called Natsume ahead of time to check up on him. The sound of his blaring default ringtone woke the light sleeper straight up.

"Natsume…?" Ruka asked hesitantly. It showed on his screen that he had picked up the phone but he heard no sounds on the other end.

"What do you want so early in the morning Ruka?"

"Ah, so you're alive, good to hear. I was heading to class just wondering if you'll decide to pop up today" he happily said, ignoring the irritated tone in his friend's voice.

Natsume replied, "Yeah, whatever" and hung up the phone.

If he thought he was aching yesterday, today was even worse. Pain shot through his body as he tried to sit up and limp to his bathroom. His large bathroom was the size of a no star room, it was extremely comfortable, a bit too comfortable for his taste. Stepping into the shower, he cleaned himself and redid the bandages and reached into the closet for a fresh uniform.

His foot landed on a piece of paper, the ticket from yesterday was still laying on the floor. Unsure of what to do with it Natsume crammed it inside his drawer. The chances of meeting Mikan again are nearly impossible now, Persona would be breathing down his back to make sure nothing like yesterday happens again. Sighing, he grabbed a manga and left his room. He wasn't going to listen in class anyway since he already knew all the lessons being taught. The hallways of the special star dorm was dark and quiet. While he continued the painful stroll to his classroom the thought of his freedom being taken away annoyed Natsume.

He was beginning to get use to the routine sneaking out when people thought he was in his room. The outside world made him feel less confined, and powerful, among the weak normal humans with no power.

Once again his thought were interrupted by a blue-eyed boy who was out of breath from trying to catch up to him.

"Nat-at-sume, stop walking so damn fast!" Ruka wheezed.

"Huh?" He noticed that only after a few minutes he'd brought himself from his room to the classroom.

Ruka continued, "So, you finally decided to show up, the fangirls are going to be so happy."

As if on cue Sumire tried to leap onto Natsume. "Natsume-kun!" she adoringly shrieked, but fell on her face as he side-stepped. Without losing a beat the pair walked to their normal desks at the back of the room and resumed their conversation.

"So how was it yesterday...outside?" Ruka curiously inquired.

He ignored Ruka's question, deciding to focus on his manga, but Ruka noticed the bruises around his neck.

"Nat-"

"I met a girl" he said, cutting Ruka off.

"What…"that caught his attention.

Natsume's plan had worked, but what was he suppose to tell Ruka now?

"Really? What was she like?"

"..."

"Natsume...well then, how did you get your bruises?"

"She was annoying, loud, rude, a hog, and overall a big pain."

Ruka laughed, "sounds like you had a great time, besides you're always the gentleman."

"Tch, I was. I treated her to multiple boxes of candy." he said, leaving out the part where he split coffee over her sweater. "Anyways, Persona found out about the hole."

"Does this mean you'll be joining class more often? It's really boring here and the fangirls are getting harder and harder to handle by myself everyday."

Natsume sighed, "Whatever, but I'm being watched."

The room was gradually getting louder as students filled the seats. The homeroom teacher Narumi entered and slammed his books onto the table to get everyone's attention.

"Good morning everyone!" he sweetly said in his honeyed voice. "A few months may have already passed in the school year, but I would like to introduce everyone to a new student."

The silent class grew chatty at this mentioning.

"Shush! Anyways, class, welcome Luna Koizumi! Treat her well!."

A average height girl with shoulder length strawberry-blonde hair and harsh blue eyes walked in. Her face lit up with a wide smile and waved before saying, "Hello everyone! I hope you'll treat me well! I look forward to getting to know you all!" Everyone's curious stare softened after her small demonstration. However, Natsume's eyes got colder as he placed more focus onto his maga. Her voice was fake and shrilly to him. Everything about her was fake. Her enthusiasm, smile, and face. He bet even her hair was dyed, or fake. Someone like her he would never waste his time on.

While Natusme was busy focusing on his manga, Luna had tracked down her new target. She turned to Narumi and asked, "Teacher, where will I be sitting?"

Narumi scanned the room, there were three seats left. He pointed to one next to Koko the mindreader. Dissatisfied with the placement Luna turned on her puppy dog eyes, "Say...teacher, there are three empty seats in this room. Is it alright if I sit there?" She pointed at a seat in the last room next to Natsume and Ruka.

The atmosphere in the class shifted and grew uneasy; Narumi's eyes grew sad. Oblivious to the tension inside the room Luna stared at Narumi and asked again, "Is that a yes teacher?"

Natsume's attention was no longer on his manga at this point, he was getting annoyed at the fake girl who thought she could do whatever she wanted. The seat that she wanted was taken already. Sort of. The same girl, she-whom-shall-not-be-named, also once sat in that chair. It's also rumored that Narumi was pretty close to her, and was her teacher for many years because the girl studied at the school from a very young age. No one asked Narumi though, the subject of her was avoided entirely.

This only made Natsume more curious about the girl who "owned" the same Sakura tree as him. She may be physically missing from the school, but her presence still lives on as a ghost story. The seat Luna wanted was supposed to be cursed, owned by a phantom.

Narumi regained his composure and said, "Sorry Luna, the seat is reserved, please take your seat next to Koko." Turning to the class he said, "Alright, free period, get to know Luna well!" He grinned cheerfully and pranced out of the room.

Luna haughtily walked to her new seat, several students stood up and went to greet her. Yuu, as the class president began to give her an overview of the school. Luna nodded along and smiled, pretending to care, while slipping dreamy glances at the seat she could have had.

While the rest of the class threw bags of attention at the new student Natsume resumed his reading. He definitely missed the quiet cafe a lot more, even the annoying girl was better than the noise.

Ruka wasn't helping either, "So, who exactly is this girl you met? How did you guys meet? Sorry if I'm being annoying but I'm just so frustrated. You finally meet someone, a stranger in fact, that you're interested enough to talked about. But you won't tell me anything."

Natumse droned Ruka out, not willing to tell anymore of his story. Standing up he tried to step out of the classroom, only to be swarmed by fangirls escorting him out.

By the end Natsume had a pounding headache and the desire to burn everything and anything down. The quiet hallways calmed his nerves until he was interrupted again, this time by Luna.

"Hey! Wait up! We didn't get to talk much before. I really want to get to know you better." She stretched out her hand for him to shake.

He ignored her and continued to walk back to his room.

"Why the cold face? Dont you want to get to know the new student better?" She drew out her pout face and doggy eyes. It looked disgusting to him, and the desire to burn everything grew even greater. "Aw, hey come on. I heard all the girls talking about you. Natsume Hyuuga right? We can get to know each other a lot better."

Natsume stopped in his tracks, causing her to bump into him.

"I'm taking that as a yes" Luna said grinning.

Her grin disappeared and widened when her short red hair began to flame.

"Yeek! ARG! My hair!" she shrieked. Natsume was silently laughing and grinning before turning his back and walking away.

"What a fake bitch."

Luna's face turned stone stiff with surprise and horror.

He might have gotten beaten up by Persona and had his doorway to the outside world taken away, but he still has everything under control.

_Sorry for the mistakes, I feel like this chapter was more boring compared to the other ones. Suggestions and critics are always welcomed. Thanks for reading_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi everyone! Big thanks to everyone for their feedback (Mia,Lunar x princess,Guest, Eka19, and StarElsie) I think I have the basic plot of the whole story down, so hopefully this will all work out *fingers crossed* Enjoy reading! _

"Hey what's up dad", Mikan spoke to the darkness. "Why'd you call me to this depressed place?"

She stood in the same clothes she had a few hours ago when she'd been with a certain other boy, minus the sweater. The well furnished room was bare and only contained a wooden desk, laptop, and a comfy cushioned black leather chair. Sitting on the chair the good natured Izumi Yukihira turned around to face his daughter.

Through the light behind the chair Izumi's face was shadowed but lit up in a bright smile and reached for a hug from Mikan.

She stood stiffly for a while before giving in and hugging him back with the same power.

"This is nice and all dad, but can you please turn the light up in here?" she asked.

Izumi laughed, "Ah, I forgot all about the light. I seem to be getting use to this darkness, we do have something to discuss."

With a flick the whole room was illuminated brightly and Mikan squinted, trying to get use to the light. "So, what's this thing you needed to discuss?"

Mikan watched as her father sighed, he'd aged a lot in the past few years. Escaping, fighting, and planning against the academy. They'd been in dozens upon dozens of safe houses, explaining the unfurnished room. The plan was to move again in a few days. She was tired of it, unable to live a stable life. There was nothing they could do though, Mikan was curious about the latest move. It was dangerously close to the academy, and it brought back so many memories she couldn't help but explore the area again, pointing out to herself all the changes.

"Mikan? Are you still here dear?" Izumi's worried face filled Mikan's sight.

"Sorry dad, I'm just a bit tired. So anyways, what was this thing you wanted to talk about?"

Her dad sighed and ran his fingers through his long blonde hair. "You're not going to like this, but I need you to hear me out."

She looked at him expectantly.

"According to Persona, we can convince the Elementary School Principal you'll be an agent for him. That you betrayed us and will work for him." He scanned her face for a reaction before continuing, "But of course you'll still be with us, we need you to go back to the academy again."

Mikan's heart clenched. "I-I can't go back there. What will they think of me, I can't survive a day there. I'm sorry dad, you have to find someone else."

Izumi's face grew more worried. "I wish Mikan, but this is our only chance. The ESP thinks you have the same alice as-as your mother. I dont like this idea either, you'll be too close to him. But you've matured so much the past few years, I think you can do this."

Mikan showed no reaction, "I'm sorry dad, I have to think about this. Please give me more time, if not, I'm afraid I'll break down in front of all of them."

The cold was getting to her as goosebumps rose up her arms. Once again she was surrounded by darkness, but still fully aware of her surroundings. Armed with energy and two powerful fists Mikan turned around to the presence of a stranger.

"Who's there" she threatenly demanded to know.

A tall slim figure approached closer to Mikan and reached out his hand. "How feisty, wonder where you got it from, Izumi isn't as lively these days."

Mikan relaxed her pose and firmly shook his hand, "Persona right?"

"How did you know, nice to meet you too Mikan." he said with a sly smile.

She felt disturbed but tried to comfort herself since her father trusted his man, and her father wouldn't put her in any harmful situation.

Persona pulled a bundle of paperwork out of his long trenchcoat. "The ESP is expecting you, in the day you'll be a normal student in classes. We'll like to keep your profile hidden, so keep your second alice a confidential secret. In the evenings the ESP will assign personal requests for you, but none of the Dangerous Ability students will interact with you. You'll be an outside agent working with them. Do you understand?"

Mikan nodded, she would have to keep a low profile at this point and try to get close to the ESP. It'll be nearly impossible to go back again as Mikan Sakura, but under the request of the ESP she had to comply to his wishes.

Persona handed MIkan the large stack of paperwork, "All of your applications are already filled out here, all you need to do is give it to Narumi and he'll deal with it."

"I still don't like this idea." Mikan sighed.

"We have no other choice, the ESP will only use you because of your alice. It's alright, your dad and I will take care of everything from the outside, all you need to do is find out exactly what the ESP is doing. It might take time, so be patient, the man will slip eventually," Persona explained.

She glanced quickly over her paperwork, "So when do I start?"

"The ESP has required that you start as soon as possible, he's going to work you to your bone, testing out your alice. This may be a good time to see him slip." His face softened a little and he took his mask off, "Listen Mikan, this is extremely dangerous, and your father and I are worri-"

"No" she cut him off. "I can take care of it from this moment on, don't worry about me. I'm not as fragile as I was before. The ESP is going to get the revenge I've been saving up for him."

The room wasn't large, but not too cramped, it was comfortable sized. Mikan placed her luggage onto the wooden floor. She was used to packing her life into a tiny suitcase from moving around often. Inserted at the corner of the room was a bed and clean white sheets. A simple wooden dresser accompanied the bed, the rest of the room was bare.

"Sorry for the bare room Mikan, we weren't expecting any new students anytime soon", Narumi said from the doorway.

She crouched down and began unpacking her clothes and replying, "No , it's perfectly fine, I don't have that much stuff anyway." They had an awkward meeting before taking her to her two-star room. It was at least better than the 1 star room she had while she was attending the school 4 years ago. Though Narumi almost called her Yuka when they met, Mikan thought that she could like the teacher. He seemed awfully kind to her.

"I'll leave you alone now to unpack," Narumi continued. "Since I'm your homeroom teacher I'll be seeing you first thing tomorrow in 10B at 7:00. Have fun, and don't feel uncomfortable! All the students are extremely friendly." He backed out of her room, whistling a cheerful tune.

Mikan closed the door behind him and continued unpacking; within a few minutes she'd already finished from the lack of stuff inside her suitcase. The setting sun was casting dazzling shadows through her window onto her floor. She was suddenly hit with a wave of sadness, loneliness, and fatigue. What would her classmates reaction be when she appears out of nowhere after 4 years? Although she'd reviewed the scenario with her dad multiple times Mikan felt more nervous by the second. Would Hotaru remember her? No, if she hadn't been brainwashed by the ESP like the rest she probably forgot about her. With that final thought Mikan passed out onto her new bed.

Mikan rose early to avoid the students in the hallways until she made it to class. If she could, she wished she could enter the school as another person, not Mikan. The hallways were completely silent, probably because it was only 5 in the morning. She strolled towards her classroom, trying to see what's changed over the last few years.

The spacious hallways were pinned up with handouts for clubs and events and overall the school hadn't changed at all. She peaked into the classroom she'll be entering in a few hours.

The benches and tables were lined up with each seating 3 people. A teacher's desk stood straight facing the crowd of invisible students with more piles of paperwork toppled on it. Mikan walked through the doorway and stood at the place she'll be standing in a few hours.

It felt normal, as if she belonged here. But she didn't, she was forced here to finish a mission that might take a long time. The students here understood nothing about the devious, malicious scenes happening behind the curtains. It'd taken a death to find out, and Mikan wasn't going to let it be two.

She slowly walked toward her old seat, and nostalgia filled her thoughts. It was the last seat in the classroom, all the way in the back. She use to pass notes to Hotaru who wouldn't even look at them. Rarely she did, and smiled a little from the cheerful tone Mikan had inserted through her sloppy handwriting.

With a flop she rested her legs onto the wooden bench and leaned her head back.

"What are you doing here Yuka?" a voice disrupted her daydreaming.

Mikan peeked open one of her eyes, the mention of her soon to be classmate knowing her mother's name disturbed her.

"Sorry, you got the wrong person, I'm not Yuka, though I'll be really interested in how you know her."

The redhead standing at the doorway looked confused for a second about what'd she

just said and walked closer to Mikan. "Who are you, and why are you in this room?"

Sighing Mikan got up from her comfortable seat. "You'll find out soon enough anyway" she said, patting the girl's shoulder and walked out of the classroom.

Inside the girl's bathroom Mikan tried to stop her pounding heart. The girl startled her by calling her Yuka. Narumi had almost done the same thing yesterday. She'd been told many time that she looked like her mom but why must her mom haunt her still; it was already hard enough to go back to the academy.

Placing the toilet seat down Mikan waiting for the hours to past until class was about to start. She wasn't planning on going back to the classroom, although she'll have to get to know her later.

The sound of footsteps placed her on edge again, they approached closer until Mikan could see two pairs of feet from underneath the bathroom stall.

"Hey Anna, what do you think about Luna?" one of the figures asked.

Anna replied, "I'm not too sure, she seemed nice yesterday, a bit too nice."

"Yeah, I see what you mean. Maybe she's one of those people who all hurt and broken inside, and is masking their true identity so people can't see her pain!"

Anna laughed, "Nonoko! Geez, this isnt one of your tv shows you keep watching."

The two kept conversing until they finished washing their hands and walked out of the bathroom. Mikan glanced at her watch, it was about time to leave the bathroom and face her new class. was waiting for her outside the classroom she'd been in a few hours ago. Although Mikan couldn't see, she could hear the wild noises of the alice students, lively although it was early in the morning.

"Mikan? Are you listening?" Narumi asked.

She snapped her head back at him, "Ah, sorry teacher, go on."

He smiled approvingly, "Alright, I'll go in and introduce you and such and then you'll walk in and introduce yourself personally. It's as simple as that. Don't be nervous, the students are all great people."

MIkan smiled at him, she wasn't nervous. It wasn't her first time doing this.

Narumi entered the classroom, "Good morning class! The sun is bright, the birds are chirping and I have some good news!" The class continued to be rowdy, not paying attention to Narumi at all. "We have a new student!" That got their attention as they all sat down and began curiously questioning him. "Now, now class, let's welcome Mikan Sakura."

Mikan straightened her back and entered the classroom after the cue Narumi had given. Since she had to be here for a long time she might as well make the most of it and have a great time. Standing by Narumi's side she flashed a dashing smile and said, "Hi everyone! I'm Mikan Sakura, I think you guys all know me already and I hope I'll have a great day with you guys this year." She added a little bow just to be formal.

The class started furiously whispering and staring at her. Of course they knew who she was. The name they weren't suppose to say, the girl who mysteriously left 4 years ago out of nowhere and had somehow gained the ESP's disapproval. She was like a traitor for the whole school, although what she'd had done was never clear. Maybe it was the mystery that made her more fearful. But the girl with a bright smile standing in front of them was not who they'd expect to be Mikan Sakura, or their new classmate.

Mikan felt tiny beyong their gossiping, anger filled her belly as she scanned the room. A wave of shock went through her when she noticed a certain raven haired boy at the back of the room. He'd been sleeping throughout her introduction and hadnt realize she was his new classmate. She smiled a little at the chances of meeting him in this school.

Turning to Narumi she began, "So teacher," and then continued to walk to her old seat next to Natsume, "I guess I'll be claiming my old seat."

The class grew silent when they saw the forever unoccupied seat holding up their new classmate. A brunette with long flowing hair, and kind, mysterious amber eyes. She turned to the napping Natsume and took the manga off of his face.

He blinked furiously, ready to attack someone.

"Good morning Natsume" she said, shining a smile into his already blinding eyes.

_Was this chapter too confusing? Was I not clear enough? Any feedback is good feedback. I feel like the Mikan- situation was a bit hard to understand. Mikan had left the academy 4 years ago (can't tell you why yet) and she has come back after her father asks, to be a double agent for him. The ESP thinks Mikan is working for him, but she is actually working against him for her father. Everyone in school doesn't know Mikan personally, they just know she's a girl who disappeared and has a bad reputation around school, and the mystery makes her seem more dangerous. I hope that cleared some things up if my wording was unclear in the story! _


End file.
